McConnell Brags About His Bipartisan Street Cred

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell usually isn’t one to highlight his closeness to the Obama administration.

In fact, the Kentucky Republican has at times seemed to take pains to distance himself from the handful of major deals that have made it to the president’s desk.

So color us surprised when we saw McConnell crowing to NPR about his bipartisan accomplishments.

Responding to a constituent who criticized him for having a partisan agenda, McConnell said: “There have been three major deals with the Obama administration — I brokered every one of them.”

But he went even further: “In fact, I’m perfectly willing to deal with the administration when I think we have the possibility of getting an outcome that’s in the best interests of the country,” he says. “And, as I said, the three major deals between Republicans and the administration, I have negotiated with the vice president. I rest my case.”

Still, it’s a curious position for McConnell to take given he is still in danger of drawing a primary challenge in his 2014 race. As NPR reporter Ailsa Chang points out in the piece, “it’s that willingness to deal that has a lot of Tea Partiers in Kentucky downright mad.”

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Niels Lesniewski has covered the Senate for CQ Roll Call since January 2010, and more recently as a staff writer and resident procedure guru for Roll Call. Niels holds degrees in both government and theater but sometimes can't tell the difference between the two. @nielslesniewski